So for the past couple of weeks I tried something different with my daughter. I wanted to give her something fun, something that would inspire her during school breaks. So I went to chat GPT and asked it to build a set of lunch box cards, and then I played with the details, and design. The results? Beautiful sets of printable lunch box cards that she absolutely loved!! She even complained about the day that I forgot to put some in. The first few days she didn't know who was placing them in, until she saw them on the top of the fridge. From there, I created some for halloween in Portuguese with Brazilian halloween jokes. She absolutely loved it! What is next? Of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas cards! Though we don't live in USA, my daughter was born there and I feel it is important for her to learn and enjoy American traditions. Building her cross cultural muscles. How have you been inspiring your kiddos? PS: I used chat GPT for this.

If you’ve got kids home this week and you’re looking for something to do with them that isn’t a screen, here’s one from my kitchen. Witch’s broom pretzels. Pretzel dough cut into strips, bundled around a pretzel stick for the handle, tied with a little band of dough, and baked until they’re golden. The strips go crisp and the handle stays chewy, which is the part the kids figure out first. 👩🏾‍🍳 Here’s why it works for families: there’s a job for every age. Little ones can tear the strips. Bigger kids can tie the bundles. Somebody gets to sprinkle the salt. And the brooms don’t have to be neat. A lopsided broom is still a broom, and it still disappears before dinner. 📖 The recipe is free on the Recipe Pantry, step by step: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/witchs-broom-pretzels While you’re there, look for the Kids Can Bake section. It’s a set of recipes written so kids can do the baking themselves with a grown-up nearby, like spiderweb brownies and monster apple oat bars. All free. If you make the brooms, I’d love to see them. Ugly ones especially. 👻 Henry⭐🔥 www.recipepantry.app

Sometimes the best way to connect with our kids is to get their hands busy doing something together. These Mummy-Wrapped Breadsticks are a perfect little Halloween kitchen project. They're fun to make, a little messy, and nobody cares if their mummy comes out looking a little crooked. Little hands can help wrap the dough. Older kids can do the shaping. Everybody gets to add the goofy eyes. And when they're finished, you've got warm, golden breadsticks to dip in marinara sauce. That's the kind of play I love. Kids are learning without feeling like they're being taught. They're following directions, working with their hands, being creative, and spending time with someone who matters to them. I'm Henry Hunter, and I teach bread baking through Baking Great Bread at Home and Crust & Crumb Academy. One of the things I care about most is getting families into the kitchen together. That's why we created our Kids Can Bake collection in the Recipe Pantry. Recipes that give kids something they can actually make, with a little help from a grown-up. You can explore the recipes here: https://recipepantry.app/ This Halloween, give them a little flour, some dough, and permission to make a mess. The screens can wait. These memories won't. Perfection isn't required. Just show up and have some fun together. Henry⭐🔥

One thing I'm re-learning as I play with my toddler grandson is how much fun balloons can be. Now, I don't recommend letting them loose outside as they can pose a health risk to birds and other wildlife but indoors, let's have some fun. Here's one I think you and the family will enjoy. Could you sink a balloon into a laundry basket using a wooden spoon? What if your spoon were replaced by a paper plate? Welcome to the Very Serious Balloon Championships, where the equipment is questionable and the sports haven’t quite been invented yet. Start with Spoon Basketball. After that, your family gets to invent the next event. Gather Your Gear: Recruit the Equipment You’ll need one inflated balloon, a basket or open box, and a few lightweight, blunt household objects: wooden spoons, paper plates, cardboard, or an empty plastic container. Clear a small playing space. Ask an adult if you need help blowing up the balloons. Be sure to throw any broken bits in the trash. Steps 1. Open with Spoon Basketball. Place the basket nearby and choose a starting spot. Hold the balloon in your free hand, then release it and use a wooden spoon to send it toward the basket. Tap, guide, or balance it on the spoon. After releasing it, use only the spoon to move it. You can play seated. 2. Give everyone a turn. Players choose how close to start. If the balloon lands outside the basket, pick it up and try again. A balloon that bounces off the rim, lands behind the player, or refuses to leave the spoon may deserve an instant replay. 3. Change the equipment. Try the same shot with a paper plate or piece of cardboard. Does a different tool suggest a completely different technique? Players can demonstrate discoveries or keep experimenting. 4. Let someone change the event. Keep the balloon and change one part of the sport. Turn the basket sideways. Make the balloon land on a cushion. Use two paper plates to pass it between players before taking the shot. Try the new event before deciding its rules. 5. Hold the championships your way. Repeat the favorite event, challenge an adult, or invent another. Players can keep scores if they want, award ridiculous titles, or simply demand another go. Commentary and grand entrances are available to anyone who enjoys them.

Where I live, the schools are moving into Fall break this week which means families are looking for something to do. I present to you, “One Ridiculous Moment.” You’re a robot. You’ve just discovered socks, and you’re fairly sure one of them is dangerous. Do you investigate, sound the alarm, or attempt to make friends with it? You have one minute to find out. Nobody has written your lines or decided what happens next. Pick something ridiculous to become and give it a problem. Then see what you do. Gather Your Gear A timer and whatever is already nearby. A sock, cushion, or spoon might become part of the action, but imaginary props work too. Play on your own, alongside someone doing their own version, or with an audience if you want one. You can move around, stay seated, use your hands, or give the part to a toy. Steps 1. Choose who or what you’ll become. A suspicious robot? A very important pigeon? A superhero whose power is spectacularly unhelpful? Choose something you want to try. 2. Give yourself something to deal with. Your pigeon needs to claim the best chair. Your superhero must open an imaginary jar. Your robot has found that alarming sock. Keep it simple enough to start playing immediately. 3. Start your minute. Become your character and respond. Move, speak, make sounds, or act silently. You don’t have to know how the minute will end. 4. Follow what happens. Your character might discover a new problem, change its mind, or repeat one wonderfully ridiculous action. If an unexpected idea arrives, use it. 5. Decide whether to go again. Keep your favorite part, try another character, or repeat the same minute differently. There are no points to count. You decide when you’ve had enough. Twist: Same Character, New Rule Keep your character and situation, but change one rule for the next minute. Your robot now moves in slow motion. Your important pigeon has to remain perfectly quiet. Your superhero’s imaginary jar keeps getting heavier. Choose the rule yourself or invite someone to suggest one. Try it and discover what it changes.